After surgery, new breast is possible

Women who have lost a breast to cancer could soon be able to grow a new breast, using a breakthrough in stem cell technology by Melbourne surgeons.

Women could also decide against silicone implants to boost their breast size and instead use breast tissue grown inside the body.

Surgeons at the Bernard O'Brien Institute of Microsurgery at Melbourne's St Vincent's Hospital have successfully grown a pig's breast by growing fat and muscle tissue in the animal.

Until now tissue has been grown outside the body in a Petri dish. The new technology ensures the tissue has a blood supply, necessary for organ transplants.

This could lead to new organs being within the body, Professor Wayne Morrison told the International Confederation of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery in Sydney yesterday. "The benefits of growing tissues within the body from our own cells mean that there is a much less chance of rejection," he said.

The technology could potentially eliminate the need for some organ transplants in the next 10 years, Professor Morrison said.

"The breakthrough also offers hope to diabetics, as the study has shown that it is possible to grow a pancreatic-like structure, which produces its own insulin, within an animal... similar studies are being used for liver regeneration," he said.

In yesterday's keynote speech Professor Morrison revealed how researchers have been able to grow fat and muscle tissue "in vivo", through a chamber that promotes blood vessel growth. The chamber is a small implant containing "scaffolding" on which tissue can grow.

"The research found that blood vessels within the chamber encourage tissues to grow," he said.